There was no world for her if there was no Damon
by SheaColleen
Summary: Damon is about to sacrifice himself in order to kill Klaus and Elena isn't too happy about it.  I do not own TVD but if I did there would be a lot more naked Damon.


"No," Elena said sternly.

"Yes," replied Damon.

"Damon, NO. I'm not letting you do this. There's no way I'm letting you do this. I'll-"

"You'll _what_, Elena? WHAT? What are you going to do?"

Damon's voice was growing louder and louder. He was yelling at her by now.

Elena just stood there, speechless.

"I… I don't know… I just…"

Her eyes were filling with tears.

"I-I don't know what I'll do without you… I..."

Damon's fists unclenched and his face grew softer. He took her face in his hands.

"Shh, Elena, shh. Elena, look at me."

She wouldn't look him in the eye. She hated it when he saw her cry. And so did he.

"Look at me."

She stared at the ground as she fought back her tears.

Damon gazed at her and stayed silent for a moment.

"Elena, you'll be okay. Like you said, you always survive. You'll forget about me, Elena. You'll forget about this. You'll move on and be _happy._ This whole mess will be over. Klaus will be dead. You and your family won't be in danger anymore. You'll grow up and get married and raise a family and forget about me. You will never have to be sad again. Elena, _look at me_."

She couldn't look away any longer. She looked at Damon's face and at that moment she was filled with a flood of emotions at the realization of what was happening. She couldn't fight back the tears any longer and they ran down her cheeks as she stood trembling.

She tried to speak but the words wouldn't come out. She just stood there sobbing with her face in Damon's hands.

Damon stayed strong for her. He needed her to feel safe. He would do anything to keep her safe.

"It's the only way, Elena. I have to give myself over to Klaus. No one else. It has to be me. It's the only way Elijah can kill him."

Elena was hyperventilating now. Deep down she knew he was right but she just couldn't let herself believe it.

She choked on her words but they finally came out in an almost incomprehensible slur. She was talking so fast and breathing so hard it was almost impossible to understand her.

"But I- I don't want to forget, Damon. Please don't let me forget. _Please!_"

Then Damon did something he'd never done before. He took her into his arms and held her. Elena desperately wrapped her arms around him and clenched him as if for dear life. She sobbed into his chest as he held her against his body.

Damon would stay strong. He would stay strong for her. He would let himself die for her. For her happiness. For her safety. She would be better off without him.

"Shh, Elena. Shh."

He held the back of her head with one hand as the other was wrapped around her back.

She continued to sob but she found enough strength out of her trembling to say, "_I can't lose you. I'll die without you. Please don't leave me, Damon, PLEASE!"_

Her words grew faster and louder with ever word she said. She was shaking uncontrollably now.

Damon tried to keep his composure but he could feel the tears coming. He ignored them and said, "You'll FORGET about me, Elena. You will have a better life without me."

"_I DON'T WANT TO FORGET, DAMON!"_ she yelled.

She stopped sobbing for a moment and grew quiet.

After a moment she whispered, "I…"

"Elena?"

"…_I love you_…"

Damon's eyes widened at the realization of what she just said. Elena Gilbert, the love of his life, the one person in the world who understood him, who cared about him through everything he'd done, who was there for him when no one else was, who stood by him, who accepted him, who laughed with him, who trusted him, who believed in him, who forgave him, who _changed _him. Elena Gilbert, the love of his life, the one he would do anything for, the one who he loved with everything he had, the one who showed him there was a better way to live, the one who was his humanity, the one who intrigued him, the one who amazed him, the one he admired more than anyone, the one who fought with him, the most caring and understanding and loving and honest and selfless person he had ever met, the one who was in love with his brother, the one who hated him, the one who despised him, the one who denied him, the one who pushed him away, the one who said it would _always_ be Stefan…

_Elena Gilbert was in love with him._

But he couldn't let himself believe it.

"Wh-what did you say?"  
>Elena pulled her crying face out of his chest and looked him straight in the eye.<p>

"_I love you."_

Damon gazed at her face and her lips and her body and her eyes.

And without saying a word he pulled her close and kissed her. He kissed her with all the love and passion he had. She clenched her hands around his neck. He was _happy. _For the first time in a long time, Damon Salvatore was truly and utterly _happy. _He didn't have to feel guilty anymore. He didn't have to feel selfish anymore. He didn't have to hate himself anymore. Because _he was Elena's and Elena was his. And there was not a creature in the world he could ever love more._

They opened their eyes and gazed at each other, smiling with tears still in their eyes. They loved each other with everything they had, and nothing else mattered.

Elena was caught in the moment, but shortly after she remembered what was happening. Damon was about to die. He was about to give himself up to kill Klaus. For her.

She took her hands from behind his neck and clenched them at her sides. Looking at her feet, she was trembling again.

"You promised you'd never leave me again…"

Damon was not going to give up now. He was going to win. He was going to _survive. For her. _He didn't know how but he was. Because _he loved her and she loved him._

Damon held her chin up and she gazed at him for what she thought was her last time.

"_I won't."_


End file.
